The "grace period" is officially over. The European Accessibility Act (EAA) enforcement deadline passed on June 28, 2025, making accessibility a mandatory legal requirement for digital commerce in the EU,.

If you thought the regulatory wave would crest and fall after 2025, look again. We are now facing the April 2026 deadline for the DOJ’s Title II regulations in the U.S., which mandates WCAG 2.1 AA compliance for state and local government entities,.

Furthermore, the data from last year paints a grim picture for those relying on quick fixes. Lawsuits are up, "overlays" are failing, and content—specifically Alt Text—remains a primary stumbling block.

Here is the state of accessibility in 2026 and how to audit your WordPress media library effectively.

The 2025 Litigation Reality Check

In 2025, we saw a significant shift in the legal landscape. Digital accessibility lawsuits surged by approximately 20%, fueled largely by AI-driven litigation tools that lower the cost for plaintiffs to file complaints,.

The most damning statistic for developers? 22.6% of lawsuits in the first half of 2025 targeted websites that had accessibility "widgets" or overlays installed.

The "Overlay" Failure

If you are still using an overlay plugin to "solve" accessibility, you are painting a target on your back. In 2025, the FTC reached a $1 million settlement with a prominent overlay provider for misleading business practices.

Overlays often fail to fix the underlying code and content issues. In fact, they signal to plaintiffs that you are aware of your accessibility obligations but chose a "cheap fix" over actual remediation.

The 80% Rule: Why Code Isn’t Enough

As developers, we often focus on semantic HTML and ARIA labels. While vital, an internal study of over 200 WordPress sites revealed that over 80% of WCAG AA compliance issues relate to design and content decisions, not programming.

The most persistent content failure is Image Alt Text (WCAG 1.1.1), which remains a top citation in lawsuits.

The Alt Text Challenge: AI vs. Human (2026 Update)

With the explosion of Generative AI, the debate over "human vs. machine" for alt text has evolved into a strategic decision about Context.

The Accuracy Gap

Current data indicates that while AI is incredibly efficient, a quality gap remains:

• Factual Accuracy: AI achieves 92% accuracy in identifying objects (e.g., "red shoes").
• Brand & Context: AI drops to 45% accuracy when determining brand voice or contextual relevance,.

The "Context Trap"

AI sees pixels; humans see purpose.

• Image: A man in a white coat.
• AI Alt Text: "Man standing in white coat."
• Context A (Hospital): This is a doctor.
• Context B (Butcher Shop): This is a butcher.
• Context C (Clothing Store): The focus should be on the coat itself.

An AI tool cannot know your site’s specific context without human guidance.

The Hybrid Workflow for 2026

To handle large WordPress media libraries without sacrificing compliance, successful teams are adopting a Hybrid AI + Human workflow.

1. AI Generation: Use AI to generate baseline descriptions for bulk assets (informational images, product catalogs).
2. Human Review: Manually review high-impact images (Hero banners, Team photos) and refine AI suggestions to match brand voice.
3. Null Attributes: Ensure decorative images are strictly marked with alt="" so screen readers skip them.

Coding for Compliance

If you are building themes or maintaining legacy sites (which must comply if updated after June 2025), avoid these common patterns:

❌ The "Missing Alt" Error

<!-- BAD: Screen reader may announce the filename -->
<img src="sales-graph-q1.png">

✅ The Descriptive Fix

For informational graphics, structure is key. Charts and graphs should summarize the trend or data, not just the visual appearance.

<!-- GOOD -->
<img src="sales-graph-q1.png" alt="Bar chart showing Q1 sales rising 20% compared to previous year">

✅ The Decorative Fix

Don’t clutter the audio experience. If an image is purely decorative, silence it.

<!-- GOOD -->
<img src="divider-line.svg" alt="">

Why You Need an Audit Tool

Manual remediation is too slow for the volume of content produced in 2026. You need a system that integrates into your WordPress workflow to:

1. Scan your library for missing alt tags.
2. Differentiate between decorative and informational images.
3. Generate AI baselines for human refinement.

This is why plugins like Alt Audit are essential. They allow you to audit core paths—like your homepage and checkout flows—which are the highest-risk areas for litigation.

The Bottom Line

The "wait and see" approach is no longer viable. With the DOJ Title II deadline hitting in April 2026 and the EAA strictly enforced, accessibility is a non-negotiable KPI.

Beyond compliance, accessible sites are seeing ~23% more organic traffic due to better semantic indexing by search engines.

Fix your alt text. Remove the overlays. Audit your code.